Who writes this blog?

My name is Michael Slattery.

I am a Canadian citizen by birth, though my family, like most all Canadians, is a mix of recent international and longer term international heritage.  That is to say, my father’s side of the family has been in the country since the middle 19th century and my mother came as an adult.

Having grown up in Canada I am very much one of its countrymen, though my world view reflects my family’s values, traditions, and background.  This is the typical Canadian family story: the unique mundane.

My position on most matters comes from a Canadian perspective and is inflected with Canadian interests.  The ideas I have and care most for are not, however, typical to the rest of the Canadian population.

Without straying too deep into a cultural analysis, Canadians enjoy a kind of homogeneous culture, although we are a heterogeneous group of peoples.  Our mixed English and French foundation was set on top of the native peoples; it is now growing fast with people from the world round and like many in this country, my cultural identity and connection with my cultural past are freewheeling.

This is how my writing is informed; and this is how my writing informs me.  People change and writing for others is always a matter of self-expression and of self-discovery.